Old friends New flames?
by Katherin Bend
Summary: Grissom has an friend visit, needing his help. Will Katherin find comfort with her old friend, or someone else?
1. Chapter 1

* * *

This is my first attempt at a fan fic, so be kind, but please be honest! I have a TON of stories in my head, just have never attempted to put them on paper. So be patient!

I own the character of Katherin Bend, and her only! You'll see her in several different stories, in the CSI, Miami, and Without a Trace sites! Anyone else CBS owns!

* * *

"May I help you?" said the receptionist to the young lady pacing in front of her desk.

"Yes, I'm here to see Gil Grissom. Is he anywhere around?" said the blonde haired woman, who looked like she could burst at any second.

"I'm sorry, he's in the field. I can leave him a message for you-"

"No, it's really important, please I really need to see him" the young lady interrupted her.

Nick Stokes walked up behind Greg Sanders while he was concentrating on the woman at the front desk.

"Dang" Greg said, under his breath.

"Whatcha looking at Greggers?" asked Nick.

"Check out the fine woman at the front desk" whispered Greg. "She's asking for Grissom, just my luck. Uh oh, she's looking this way. How do I look?" he asked the older CSI.

Nick just laughed "Greg, you look fine. You'd better watch out though, cause she's on her way towards us!"

Greg spun around just as the 5'8 blonde haired, woman came walking up to them both. She had sunglasses on, which struck both of them as odd, since they were inside, but neither mentioned anything about it.

"Hi" the woman said to both of them "My name is Katherin, and I'm looking for Mr. Grissom. Could either of you tell me where he is? The woman at the front desk wasn't helping me at all."

The guys grinned "sure!" said Greg, a little too excitedly. "My name is Greg Sanders, and this is Nick Stokes, nice to meet you Katherin. I think Gris is in his office, would you like me to show you the way?" He secretly hoped Katherin would accept his offer.

"Thanks, if you could just point me in the correct direction that would be great, I don't want to bother you at all. Oh, and please, call me Kat. All my friends do." She said to both of them, smiling.

Greg was a little disappointed that she didn't want his help, but he pointed her in the correct direction. "Down the hall, very last room on the end. He should be there."

Nick chimed in "If he's not, just come back this way and we'll find him for you."

Katherin smiled again. Both CSI's noticed she looked very nice when she smiled.

"Thank you both very much, I really appreciate your help. It was very nice meeting both of you" she told them as she walked off.

Both men watched her go. Greg sighed. "Damn, why can't I find a woman like that who is looking for me? Who needs MY help?" His friend just laughed. "You'll find her some day Greggo."

Katherin wandered down the hall and found Grissom's office. She recognized the older gentleman immediately. She leaned against the door jam and grinned. Grissom didn't look up from the paper he was reading, until he heard "Well, how many years has it been and you still look the exact same as I remember. You're the only man I know who doesn't age!" Grissom recognized the voice right away and smiled, his eyes sparkled. "Can it really be?" He looked up, and his smile got even wider. "My God Katie, is it really you?" Katherin beamed. "You remember!" Grissom got up from his desk and came to the door, stood in front of the woman and said "How could I forget?" Katherin looked up into his eyes and behind the sunglasses a tear ran down her cheek. "I'm so happy to see you Gil, I can't believe it's been so long" she said to him as she wrapped her arms around his waist and he gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

At the exact same moment, the team walked around the corner on their way to the break room for their daily meeting and handout of assignments.

Sara saw the two of them embracing, and anger lit up in her eyes. "Who is that and why is she hugging Grissom?" she said with venom.

"Dang Sara, chill" said Nick "her name is Katherin. That's all we know."

The group hung back waiting to see if Grissom would acknowledge them or even notice them standing there.

Katherin and Grissom were still in their embrace when Sara decided she had enough. "Grissom" she called out with anger in her voice "it's time to hand out the assignments."

"Sara!" whispered Greg, Nick and Warrick all together. "Leave him alone!"

Grissom suddenly realized that his team was watching him and this woman very intently, and he saw the disgust in Sara's eyes, that she had no intention of trying to hide. "I'm sorry, everyone, this is a dear friend of mine. Katherin Bend, this is my team. Sara Sidle, Greg Sanders, Nick Stokes, Warrick Brown, and Catherine Willows" he pointed each of them out. Katherin smiled at the two she recognized and nodded to the others. "Nice to meet you all. I didn't mean to keep him away from you, but I really do need to discuss something with him before I let him run off."

"Of course, we'll be waiting in the break room whenever you get done" said Catherine, as she tried to usher the rest of the team towards the break room. "Lets give them some privacy shall we?" she asked, looking directly at Sara as she said it.

"Fine" spit out Sara, who then huffed off in the opposite direction.

The group rolled their eyes at each other and followed her, as Greg looked back and Grissom and Katherin, he saw something between them, like their past was more than just good friends. He thought to himself "there is a story here…I can't wait to find out what happened!"

Katherin and Grissom watched the group walk away, then she turned and sat down in the chair, across from his desk. Grissom shut the door and sat down in the chair next to her. "Why are you here Katie? What's going on?" "Not happy to see me?" she said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "You know better than that, I'm so glad you're here" he said to her, "but something's wrong, I can tell. Why don't you tell me what's going on." She turned away from him knowing she would start crying if she looked at him. " Katie, please you're scaring me, what is wrong?" Grissom asked again. She took her sunglasses off, and turned towards Grissom, her blue eyes brimming with tears. Grissom saw the black eye, and his face twisted in anger. "Who the hell did this to you?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I've had no reviews…which is kind of sad…hope it doesn't say anything about my writing. I'll keep going. This chapter is really short!

CHAPTER 2

The tears that had welled up in her eyes, that she tried so hard to fight back, welled over. "Gil, I'm scared. I didn't know what to do." When she started to explain, the words just started pouring out. She couldn't stop, and he didn't interrupt, he just held her hand and listened. "I was walking to work and all of a sudden I heard footsteps coming from behind me. I started running and he started running after me. I got so scared I didn't know what to do-he grabbed me and spun me around and I was shocked to see that it was my ex boyfriend, John. He started yelling at me, saying I would never get rid of him…I told him it was over, that he was hurting me, and he said he didn't care. He would hurt me as much as I hurt him, and then he hit me. I fell to the ground, and he stood over me, grinning! I wanted so badly to kick him, punch him, pull a gun and shoot him but I just laid there…I was in such shock I didn't know what to do. He laughed and said I always just laid still, and took it, just like I should continue to do. Then he just walked away. I thought for sure he was going to rape me, the look in his eyes…" Tears ran down her face freely now. " I'm scared Gil I think he's going to kill me!"

Grissom stayed quiet, and wordlessly held out his arms to her, and she fell into them sobbing. "Shhhh, it's okay honey " he said quietly. "We'll get him before he can do anything else, I promise." He stroked her hair. "I can't-" Katherin started before Grissom cut her off "No, HE can't get away with this. You're staying with me until we get him, do you understand me? When did this happen?" he said, in a take-charge kind of voice.

"Yesterday" she said quietly, knowing full good and well that he would get angry at her for not coming in sooner. He surprised her "Okay" he said calmly "you should have come in exactly when it happened, so we could get any evidence we needed, but I understand you were scared." He held her hands and kissed her forehead. "I'll take care of you" "as always" Katherin finished as she looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "I'm so sorry Gil, you're right, I should have come to you sooner. It's been bad for awhile, I just didn't want to bother you." "You should know you will never bother me" Grissom explained to the crying woman in his arms, as he remembered back when she was younger, they both were, and how he used to take care of her then too. "Everything will be okay" he told her again. He would keep telling her, until it happened, until everything was okay.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, I really appreciated them! Hope the next chapter meets everyone's expectations…sorry the last one was so short! Oh, and my disclaimer, I only own Katherin Bend, and anyone related to her. Any other characters are owned by CBS!

Katherin looked at Gil with her blue eyes filled with tears. "Gil I was so scared. I just didn't know what to do…I mean I knew I should come straight to you, every fiber of my being was telling me to come to you for help, but there was just something in his eyes…something I had never seen before. He was so serious. I froze." She was shaking, she could tell, like she couldn't get warm.

Gil kept her tight in his arms, and kissed her forehead. "We will find him, and we will make sure he pays." He couldn't believe this was happening, not to her, and not again. She was like the same scared girl that he took care of all those years ago…He remembered the night he found her, 18 years old, curled up into a little ball like she was just a child. The scene had been horrible, an burglar had come into her home, and killed her family while they slept. The only reason she was alive, was because that night, she had stayed at his house. He had been helping her with her science fair project, and she had fallen asleep before she got the chance to make it back over to her own house. She went home the next morning, to find her family-murdered. She didn't scream, she didn't cry. When he finally came over, after he didn't hear from her. She looked at him with the same wide, blue eyes, full of question and shock. He tried so hard to protect her then, and he had done a wonderful job. He had treated her like his own daughter. She was old enough, she got her own apartment, but she still needed him, just like now. Even 10 years later, she still needed him. And be damned if he was going to let someone terrorize her now, after everything she had been through in her life.

"Honey I have to go to the team, I need to have them work on this case right away. We need to have them process you, and the clothes you were wearing. You'll need to give a statement, we want to make sure we do this right." Gil quietly explained to her. " I can't be the one to help you this time, I can't be involved, not directly."

Katherin looked at him, again with her bright blue eyes filled with tears, and his heart sank. He knew he couldn't be involved with the case from a CSI standpoint, people could say he wasn't playing fair, because of his relationship with her. He needed to get his team on this right away. She knew what he was thinking, and she knew he was right. "Of course" she said, just as quietly "you're right, I know. I saved the clothes, even though I know who attacked me just so that you would have the evidence you would need. I can give you, or whoever, his exact description, his address, his phone number. Anything you need to put him away. I never want to see him again Gil, you have to stop him before he kills me" she said, with a catch in her voice. "He won't come near you ever again" Gil reassured her "not if I have anything to do with it. Lets go to the break room, and we'll give your case first priority. I want you to talk to Nick, he's experienced and he'll help you get through this. I'll have Greg work on it with him. They're both great CSI's." Katherin was glad when he named the two that she liked the best out of the whole team. She was definitely glad it wasn't that Sara girl, the one who had been staring holes through her and Grissom earlier. She sensed that her dear friend had a secret or two that he wasn't ready to divulge to her yet, which she was okay with. She had enough to deal with on her own.

They stood up, and Gil showed her to the door, keeping his hand at the small of her back the entire way to the break room. Katherin smiled inwardly, it was his way of showing he was there for her, and would always be her support. She loved feeling his hand there, it made her feel safe.

They got to the break room, and Katherin held her breath as they walked in. The rest of the team were gathered around a table, talking. The second they saw her, and Grissom, they all became quiet. Too quiet, Katherin noticed, like they were talking about her, and then stopped because she came into the room. She had felt this way before, and she didn't like it. Grissom showed her a chair, and she sat down, feeling very uncomfortable about being in the room. He stood at the head of the table and began talking. "Sorry it took us so long, we were going over a case."

"A case" interrupted Sara "what she's working here now? Wouldn't it have nice of you to mention something about this a little sooner?" Katherin noticed how angry the woman looked, and she realized she was jealous. Poor Gil, he looked uncomfortable, like he didn't know how to respond, so she got up and joined him at the head of the table.

"Hello again. No, I'm not working here, we were discussing my case." She took off her sunglasses that she had put on before they came into the room. There were slight gasps around the room as they saw her eye. "I asked Gil, who is a very dear friend of mine, and my family, to help me. My ex boyfriend attacked me last night on my way to work. I was frightened, and didn't know where else to turn, so I decided to come here." Everyone seemed to digest the information well enough, so she continued. "I asked Gil to put two of you on my case for me. He is letting me decide who" she lied, but Gil didn't stop her "so since I've met all of you, but actually only spoken to two of you, I've decided on Nick and Greg. I'll show you where it happened, and give you the clothes I was wearing last night. I'll also give you his address and phone number and anything else you need" she finished her speech and sat down, as Gil shot her a thankful look.

"Yes, this is our top priority, so Nick and Greg, I want the both of you on it. Take her back to her apartment, help her gather anything she'll need for the next few weeks, and bring her back here. She'll be staying with" he stopped mid sentence and thought, she can't stay with me, Sara will be even more angry than she already was at him. He didn't want to try and explain their history to her, she wouldn't understand. He shot a look at both Nick and Greg, and Nick was the first to speak up.

"She can stay with me if she wants, I've got the room." Greg did a mental D'OH! Why didn't I think to say something? "I have room too" Greg said, as an afterthought. "Actually it would be great if she could stay with you Nick" said Grissom. "If that's okay with you Katie?" he asked her. "Of course, wherever you want me is fine" she said, knowing full good and well the reason he couldn't have her stay with him even though he told her she would be was because of the Sara girl. She would definitely have to talk to him about her when they got a chance to really catch up, after this whole fiasco was over.

"Great" said Nick "we'll take the Denali and run by the crime scene first, then to your place to pick up whatever you need. Greg can bring the clothes back here, and I'll get you settled in at my place." Katherin had to smile, because for the first time in the last two days, she really felt safe.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry it's been a few days, I'm getting ready to move, and so I haven't really been able to concentrate! I'll keep up as often as I can! I don't have anyone to beta read for me, and since I'm pretty new at this I honestly don't know what that means. Anyone want to volunteer to explain it and/or do it for me that would rock :) Thanks much!

Oh and I changed the rating…wanted to be safe.

A/N: Oh yeah, the Golden Cherry Motel is from the movie Sweet Home Alabama, which I love! Just had to throw the nod in there.

Disclaimer: I own only my character, Katherin Bend, and her scummy ex boyfriend! Anyone else CBS owns. If I owed anyone at CSI I'd be writing for them:)

* * *

Greg, Nick and Katherin crossed the parking lot and got to Nicks Denali. Out of habit, Greg shouted out "Shotgun!" Katherin giggled to herself as Nick gave Greg a "are you out of your mind?" look. 

"Oh, yeah…sorry never mind you can sit up front Kat." Greg told her as he got into the back seat.

"Sorry about him, I try not to take him out anywhere, but sometimes I just can't keep him locked up in the lab." Nick tried to laugh off Greg's antics.

"It's no problem at all." said Katherin, happy to have a lighthearted moment between the three of them. It would help her through the darker times that would be coming soon enough. Nick opened the door for her and held out his hand to help her into the car. Always the Texan gentlemen thought Katherin. It's about time I found one of those. She got into the SUV and Nick came around the other side and got in as well.

"Where are we off to?" he asked as he started the car.

"Down to the strip" she said. "I was on my way to work."

"You work on the strip?" questioned Greg. "Where at?"

Katherin didn't want to say it, she knew what they would think, but she didn't have a choice. "The Pink Panda" she said in a low voice.

Both men strained to hear her. "What was that?" asked Nick.

She sighed. "The Pink Panda" she said louder "it's a-"

"Strip club??" Greg sounded shocked. " Does Griss know you work at a strip club?"

"Greg!" Nick gave him the "leave it alone" stare in the rear view mirror.

"No it's okay." She started. "I don't strip, I work as a bartender there. I was on my way there last night from where I've been staying, the Golden Cherry Motel. It's also on the strip. I was walking from there to work last night around 10:00 pm. I can show you where he came up and grabbed me, but there's probably not going to be anything there for you to go on. I mean the whole thing lasted maybe a minute tops. I was more in shock than anything." Kat started shaking again, remembering John's face, the anger, the hate that twisted his usual gorgeous features into something nasty.

Nick saw she started retreating into her thoughts and he grabbed her left hand and held it in his right, gently stroking with his thumb.

"It will be okay, we'll get him I promise."

He looked over at her at the same time she looked at him and their eyes locked. There was silence for what seemed like forever until they heard Greg clear his throat. They dropped each others hands like they were burning and Kat turned to look out the side window.

"So where do you want to start?" asked Nick.

"I guess we should start at work" said Kat, knowing in her heart this was going to be one of the roughest things she would ever have to do. " I'm going to have to be off for a few days and I'll need to let my manager know anyway. Might as well do it now. Plus you can talk to some of the other people I work with, they know John and they'll be able to give you some background on him."

"Sounds good." said Nick as they drove in silence the rest of the way.

They pulled into the parking lot of the Pink Panda, and Greg's eyes got as big as saucers. Sure, he'd seen strip clubs before, but he couldn't remember if he had actually ever gotten as close to a dancer as he was about to get. Then he had to remember he was on a case, and this poor, beautiful girl needed his help. Not just Nicks, his too! He was important to the case, and told himself he needed to stay on track, no matter who came up to him in there. Nick could see the wheels in Greg's head working from his rear view mirror, and he knew exactly what he was thinking…or so he thought. "Stay on track Greg, we have to get background from some of the employees." He knew it wouldn't take the younger CSI long to find a beautiful woman who would be happy to help them out. "You got it!" Greg said energetically, ready to jump out of the car as soon as it came to a stop. Again Kat smiled on the inside, knowing Greg was going to get a kick out of going into her place of work, but she figured he would be able to handle himself. She just was hoping that John wouldn't be there tonight.

Greg hopped out of the back seat and before Nick got a chance to get out of the car he opened Kat's door and held out his hand "M'lady" he said with a smile. Kat laughed softly "Kind sir" she replied and put her hand in his as he helped her out of the car. Nick just rolled his eyes and slammed his car door shut and locked it. Kat stood with the two CSI's and stared at the place she used to enjoy coming to, where she felt at home, and felt more scared than she had in a long time. She could sense John, she knew he was around somewhere, and she was scared to death he would try something. She looked at Nick, and then at Greg, took a deep breath, and started walking towards the door. Once she went through that door, things would never be the same again.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This is definitely a work in progress…I have only thought about the first part of my stories, not actually the whole way through…so if you like or don't like something, or have any ideas, now would be the perfect time to tell me!

A/N2: Okay so I don't know how to bartend, but I did have to use one of my favorite drinks that no one else probably has heard of. This is a nod to Skyline Comedy Café because that's where I got it at :)

Please R&R and let me know what you think!!! I live for the reviews!!

Disclaimer: I own the character of Katherin Bend, her scummy ex-boyfriend (who will be making his presence known in this chapter) and anyone at the Pink Panda (the perfect name for a strip club I thought!) :)

* * *

Katherin stood staring at the front door of the club, thinking about what she could find inside. Would Todd give her trouble about taking a few days off? Todd Numan was a really great owner and manager, she didn't think he would have a problem with it. She felt back for leaving him in a lurch, but she knew he would recover quickly. She took a deep breath and was about to walk through the door when she realized the men on either side of her were stuck in their place. She smiled, it couldn't have been their first time in a strip club before? They live in Vegas for crying out loud. She turned and looked at them, and held their hands in hers. "This will be really easy, I promise. I just need to go in, talk to my boss, let him know I'm going to be gone for awhile, and while I'm doing that you can talk to the girls. They're really great, and if you get uncomfortable just let me know." She felt like she was talking to children, then realized it wasn't the club they were worried about, it was her. She looked deep into both sets of eyes, first Greg's then Nick's. "I'll be okay" both men looked at each other and back at her "if anything happens or if I need to get out of there I will let you know. I won't push myself, but you guys have to do this. Get background on John. These girls know him just as well, if not better, than I do. He used to work here, that's how we met."

"What did he do?" Greg was the first to speak up.

"He was a bouncer" Kat remembered the night they met.

_"Hey, you're not old enough to get in there" he told her at the front door. She smiled, he didn't realize she was a she. Kat had pulled her hair back and had baseball cap, and running clothes on. She loved running down the strip at night, with all the people and the lights. It made her feel at home, for the first time in a long time, Vegas didn't scare her_.

"_I work here" she said shortly, and tried to open the door. All the while the line outside was telling her "we were here first! Wait your turn!" Not usual for a strip club to actually have a line out front was Kat's first thought when she walked up, but maybe there was something different about this place._

"_Yeah, right. Lets see some ID." John said. _

_Kat smiled inwardly. "I didn't bring any" she explained "I was jogging and don't have anywhere to put it. You'll have to take my word for it. I'm supposed to meet someone named Todd. I'm tending bar." _

_He still wasn't budging from in front of the door, so she decided to use what feminine wiles she could muster up and flirt her way out of the situation._

"_Look" she started, taking off her cap "You're going to make me late, and I hate to make any man wait for a drink." She started shedding her jogging clothes to reveal her actual clothing, and her shape, that had been hiding beneath. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked into his green ones, and she could see the spark of recognition when he realized whom he was speaking to. "I'm sorry I don't have any id on me, but Todd said tonight was a trial run. I didn't need to fill out any paperwork or sign any forms. Tonight was just for fun, to see if I fit." She pulled out her ponytail and shook out her hair, blonde, medium length, and full of curl. "I really need to get going, so if you don't mind?" She reached around him to open the front door, and he finally stepped aside, wordlessly. She winked, smiled, and waved to the crowd, who were all stunned. Finally she blew him a kiss as she walked into the Pink Panda, and into a life of late nights, drunken men, and a wonderful group of coworkers, who she called her family. _

Kat shook herself out of her memories as the guys stared at her.

"Are you okay?" Nick questioned. "We don't have to do this now, you can call your boss…"

"NO" she replied shortly "I'm doing this. Lets go."

The trio walked into the noisy, smoky club. The lights, the music, everything was extreme. It didn't even seem to faze Katherin, who went directly up the bar, where a large woman was running orders and filling drinks. The woman's face lit up when she saw Kat.

"Kit Kat what happened last night?? Where were you? Todd was running around in a tizzy!" The woman had a southern accent, filled with drawl, like a cross between the bayou and the Mexico, if there ever could be such a thing.

"Hey Chi-Chi" replied Kat. "I'm sorry I couldn't call, but is Todd around I really need to talk to him."

"Sure hun I think he's in his office you want me to call him?" replied Chi-Chi, as the two men came up and sat on stools either side of Kat. "And who might these two fine looking gentlemen be?"

Kat smiled she knew Chi-Chi would be all over these two in a second, so she better explain the situation as best she could. "Chi this is Greg Sanders and Nick Stokes, they're friends of mine. They're helping me with something. Guys this is Chi-Chi, aka Marie, the best bartender this side of the Grand Canyon." She didn't want to go into the whole explanation, not until she got to talk to Todd.

"Aw shucks child." Chi-chi blushed. "Friends huh? Well I'd love me some friends like them." Chi-Chi knew in the back of her mind these guys weren't friends of her Kit Kats, but she didn't question her. It was dark in the club, so she couldn't see Katherins face…she would have to wait for now, until Kat felt up to explaining the situation to her. "What can I get you boys, I'm sorry, gentlemen, to drink?" She started her bit, grabbing bottles and flinging glasses. The guys smiled at her so she kept talking. "I can make a mean jack and coke, or maybe you've heard of my famous Blue Smurf?"

"Blue Smurf?" the guys said at the exact same time.

Katherin smiled. "She makes a GREAT Blue Smurf! I think we'll have to pass though Chi, maybe next time." She knew the guys wouldn't drink while they were on duty, and didn't want to have to explain to the motherly bartender why she was hanging out with two "cops". "I'm going to run up to Todd's office to see if he's in. I'll be back in a few minutes." She patted both men's hands, hopped down off the bar stool, and walked off towards the back of the club, smiling and waving to the girls who were on stage.

"Actually we need to speak to you about something. Do you know a John Gates? He was a bouncer here at the club?" Nick looked directly into the woman's eyes, to see if she would give anything away about the man when Greg asked the question.

"Kat's John? Sure I know him. He doesn't work here anymore. When they broke up he took it really hard. He got very…" she didn't know how to finish the sentence without them thinking the worse of John. She knew John really loved Katherin, but he had a funny way of showing it.

"Very? Very what?" Nick probed Chi-Chi.

"He was very withdrawn even before they broke up. He didn't come in to work, and when he did he yelled at the customers and got in their faces if they were talking to her. A bartenders' job is to appear available to her customers, but not actually be available. He couldn't handle it when she would get hit on." She remembered the day it happened.

_John was at the door, inside so he could keep an eye on Kat. She was gorgeous, and his. Most of the creeps who came into the joint came to watch the dancers. There were very few he had to worry about that came to hit on HIS girl. Still he watched her with eagle eyes, ready to pounce if any of the lowlifes made a move on her. She could handle herself, she wasn't weak he knew that first hand. But she was his, and he would protect her. He shook himself out of his thoughts when he heard the announcer say "Gentlemen, we've had a special request this evening. Most of you know our resident bartender, Kat. Well, a lot of you don't know she has a special talent, besides looking good behind the bar! Kat, please come up on stage!" His eyes darted over to her and saw she was as confused as he was, neither understanding what was going on. She made it clear early to Todd that she did not want to be a dancer and wasn't comfortable on stage, so why was he doing this? Chi-Chi, the other more motherly bartender gave her a gentle nudge, so with a red face, and the help of two patrons who were sitting at the bar, she came up stage. He knew he couldn't leave his post at the door, so he stayed, rock steady, and eyes burning. One of the dancers, Sindy Sweet came out with a microphone, and handed it to Kat. The announcer continued "Our beautiful bartender not only makes her living tending bar, slinging drinks and keeping you guys coming back for more, but I have just found out that she sings! So please give a warm welcome to the latest in our entertainers, Miss Kat Bend!!" Johns face twisted in anger, he could feel his face getting more and more red. He wanted to go rescue her but couldn't move. He saw the love of his life as red as he was, embarrassed, and getting way too much attention from the scums who were cheering for her. Yet she smiled, and said into the microphone "you're going to get it Todd!" From somewhere music started playing, her favorite kind, country, and she started to sing along. He could tell she was nervous but she sang like an angel. When she was done and the audience was clapping he rushed up to the stage, grabbed her and took her off into a dark corner. "What was he thinking? He embarrassed you! I should go give him a piece of my mind, treating you like that. You're mine, and he had you up there like a piece of meat, for everyone to stare at." He kept going, not seeing her face and how angry she had gotten when he had said "you're mine". "I'm going to kill him for this, how could he do this put you on display. Everyone knows you belong to me, you're not for sale."_

_"Okay that's ENOUGH John!" She said loudly. Thankfully the next dancer had come up on stage and the focus was on her instead of their conversation. "What is wrong with you?? I'm not a slab of meat- I'm not your property! I'm a human being, and Todd knows I like to sing! He could have gone about it a different way sure, but I did it. I got up there and I conquered my stage fright! Now I can get the hell outta here and do what I want to do, sing in a nightclub. Why are you angry? Why aren't you happy for me?" She had tears running down her face. She hated when he got possessive, which he had been doing for quite a while, and she was tired of it. "Listen, John, this isn't going to work. I thought I could handle your possessiveness, but I can't. I'm not yours', I'm not anyone's I am myself. I answer to me, not anyone else. I've been putting up for this for way too long. It's over John. I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore." She turned and walked away before he could say or do anything else. Chi-Chi was watching the whole thing, and saw Johns face, saw him punch the wall before walking out the front door. She saw Katherin's eyes, how sad and scared they were, and how happy she had been on that stage. She knew things weren't going to be okay in the club for a long time._

Please R&R!!!! Sorry it was a pretty long chapter I just kind of kept going and going…like the energizer bunny!!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Just wanted to say thanks to anyone who is reviewing the story, and hope you guys like it! I actually would have kept this going as just chapt 5 but it got too long, so I decided to keep writing and split it up into 2 chapters. Please please R&R!

Disclaimer: Like always, own the character of Katherin Bend, John Gates, and anyone else who works at the Pink Panda!

_

* * *

__"Listen, John, this isn't going to work. I thought I could handle your possessiveness, but I can't. I'm not yours', I'm not anyone's I am myself. I answer to me, not anyone else. I've been putting up for this for way too long. It's over John. I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore." She turned and walked away before he could say or do anything else. Chi-Chi was watching the whole thing, and saw Johns face, saw him punch the wall before walking out the front door. She saw Katherin's eyes, how sad and scared they were, and how happy she had been on that stage. She knew things weren't going to be okay in the club for a long time._

"So" as she finished explaining to the two listening men at her bar "that's what happened. That was the night she broke up with him. He didn't come back here after that. I didn't even think she had contact with him anymore. What's going on is Katherin okay?" She could tell these two "friends" of Kat's weren't just friends. They both had that look in their eyes, they wanted to try and save her. She'd seen it before, in Johns. She didn't want the same thing to happen to these two. "Please, tell me she's alright, tell me what happened."

Nick spoke first. "We're Crime Scene Investigators. John attacked Kat last night and he hit her. We're trying to piece together a background on him. We want to make sure we can make charges stick so he can't hurt her again." Chi-Chi could tell this guy really cared about Katherin, which she deserved. She wanted things to go well for the girl, she had such a rough childhood, she deserved to have a great life and be happy for once.

"Okay" said Chi-Chi calmly "what else do you need to know?"

"Has John been back at all since that night?" questioned Greg. "Have you seen him in here? Has he been around asking questions?"

Chi-Chi could tell the young man thought the world of Katherin, and they couldn't have known each other long. She felt torn, because as much as she liked the two strangers, she had known John longer. Even though he had been possessive of Katherin, she knew it was because he loved her. He just went about showing her the wrong way. "No" she said truthfully "I haven't seen him. You may want to ask some of the dancers , they may have seen him around. I stick pretty much up front here at the bar. He could have been hanging around back stage." She started thinking about the secret entrance into the club, for the girls to get out without being bothered by the men that usually hung around after close. "I'll get Sindy to show you, there's a door in the back for the dancers." She picked up a phone from behind the bar and hit a button, mumbled something non understandable, and hung up. "She'll be here in a minute, she's getting ready to go on next. Are you sure I can't get you boys something? Water even?" She was trying as hard as she could to be accommodating.

"Water would be great." Nick said, so she filled the glasses and handed them over. As she looked up she could see Sindy walking towards the bar, in barely anything and laughed. Both Nick and Greg turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of a half naked woman walking up to them.

"Hi! I'm Sindy, that's with an S." she smiled at the two men and winked at the younger one who of course got flustered. Nick saved him by telling the dancer who they were and who they were looking for.

"John? Sure I've seen him, he actually just went up to Todd's office." She had barely gotten the words out when both Greg and Nick jumped up, Nick with his hand on his gun and took off in the direction that Kat and gone earlier. They could hear her screaming before they got to the office door.

"Leave me alone John! I told you months ago it was over why can't you leave me alone?" She gasped at the shock of his hand across her already bruised face. She fell to the ground covering her cheek. "You bastard!"

"Get up, you're coming with me. I'm not taking no for an answer from you anymore." Johns voice was distorted but both CSI's heard how angry he was. Nick took out his gun and handed Greg his phone. "Call Brass, tell him to get here right away." Greg nodded and started dialing while Nick crept up the staircase closer to the door. Nick listened to John and Katherin argue, wanting to keep a level head and not go charging into a situation he knew nothing about. He wanted to protect her, he could tell she was scared, but he didn't know if John had a gun. He could hear Katherin crying, no, sobbing.

"John I don't love you! Why can't you understand that? I found someone else I just want to be happy, please, why won't you leave me alone?" She knew when the words came out of her mouth he was going to be even more angry than he already was, if that was possible.

John couldn't believe what she was saying…she found someone else? There would be no one else, not for him. How could she had moved on? "You lying bitch. There isn't anyone else, you're saying that so I'll get mad. Why do you want me to get angry with you?" He raised his hand to hit her again and she saw her chance. She kicked him, hard, between the legs and he groaned and fell to the floor. She jumped up and ran to the office door, opened it and started to run down the stairs when she screamed. Someone had grabbed her to keep her from falling down the steps. She went into automatic defense mode and started hitting the person until she heard his voice.

"Kat shhh it's okay it's just me." The strong arms folded over her and she finally let it all go, sobbing into the mans shoulder.

* * *

Who is it? Can you guess? I bet you'll be surprised! 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Just because I needed some time for the next chapter at the club, I'm using a filler one. It'll explain a bit more in detail Kat's and Griss's relationship. Please read and review:)

* * *

Back at the lab…

Gil was walking around in somewhat of a daze. He couldn't believe the young lady he knew all those years ago was here, and was very much grown up. He could see the resentment in Sara's eyes over the way he was taking care of Kat, but she didn't realize how much the girl meant to him. He felt responsible for her, after her family died. The police never caught the killer, and he was always afraid he could come back, after he realized he had left one family member alive. Gil decided he had better explain to the team members who were still at the lab who exactly this girl was. He found Warrick and Catherine in the DNA lab going over a sample from the case they were working on.

"Rick, Cath, I have something I want to talk to you about. Do you know where Sara is? She should hear this too." The two colleagues watched their boss's face, and realized just how serious he really was.

"No, I haven't seen her since the handout of assignments" said Warrick "do you want me to track her down? I can."

"No it's okay, I'll just tell her later. I just wanted you two to know who Kat is to me and why this case is so important." Gil started to explain when Catherine interrupted him.

"It's not us you need to be explaining the situation to Gil, it's Sara. She's pissed. You need to let her know what's going on with this girl. Who is she? Where did she come from? Did you have a relationship with her? We can tell there's a past there, and yeah it would be nice to know about it, but we're not the ones you're supposed to be having a relationship with, it's Sara. You need to find her and tell her what's going on." Catherine was always the most up front and forward one of the bunch. She told it exactly how she saw it.

"Tell me what exactly?" said Sara as she walked into the room.

Grissom turned around, his big blue eyes wide. "What's going on? You look like a kid who just got caught with his hand in the candy jar. Why don't you just spill and tell me what's happening with you and this girl? Are you dating? I mean you can just tell me." Sara was hopping mad, but she tried to contain it so that she could listen to Grissom try and explain his way out of the situation.

Gil took a deep breath and started in on the story. He told them everything, about how they were neighbors growing up, he was friends with her father, how he helped her with her science homework when she was in high school, how she was going to go to college to be a forensic artist. Then he explained about that night…and the horrible scene he walked in on.

_It was around 5 pm. Kat had gone home earlier that day she had fallen asleep at his house after working on her science fair project. She said she would call him when she got home, but he never got a call. Finally at around 4, he started getting worried so he tried calling their house, and got no answer. So at 5 he walked over and knocked on the door. It was open a crack so he let himself in. He could smell it before he even walked through the door. There was blood, and lots of it. He made sure he stuck close by the walls, as not to disturb any evidence. He called to her and she didn't answer. He started thinking maybe she had been hurt, but then he walked into the living room. There she was, curled up in a ball in the corner. She wasn't crying, she wasn't making a sound. She was just staring and rocking back and forth. He came to her and knelt down in front of her and she said to him "Uncle G, they're dead. They're all dead." He turned and looked at the couch and there was her mother, just like she always would, laying on the couch waiting for her to get home. Except this time she wasn't going to wake up. Her parents, her siblings, everyone was killed. She blamed herself, for not being there. The police had no leads, except thinking it was just a bunch of crazy teenagers looking for drugs or money. They stole the TV, the DVD player, anything of value. He would never forget the look in Kat's eyes they were empty, like all the life was drained out of her._

"I told myself I would watch over her for the rest of my life" he finished "no matter what she needed I was going to be there for her. Now the day has finally come that I can help her with what she needs. I can help protect her like I should have been able to do all those years ago. Please understand this is important to me, that she's important to me."

He stated those words looking directly at Sara, who after hearing the story immediately felt immense guilt and distain at herself for being so ugly to the girl before. She knew what it was like having a rough childhood, hers was no picnic, so she could relate. Instead she was rude and nasty to her. She would give anything to take back the ugliness she portrayed earlier. "I understand completely Griss, and I'm so sorry for what I said earlier, and how I said it. As soon as I see her I'll apologize to her too." Sara had no problems admitting when she was wrong, and this time was a doozy.

Catherine and Warrick were in shock about the whole thing, they couldn't understand how an 18 year-old girl could go through what she went through, and turn out to be the confident strong 28 year old woman who had stood in front of the group of them earlier. Both were immensely impressed with her character. "I'm sorry too Gil, I'm glad she has you for support. If you need any help on her case, we'll be happy to-"

Catherine was interrupted by Brass running in and saying he had a call from Greg reporting the need for back up at The Pink Panda, on the strip. Catherine had heard of the place, one of her former boss's old friends, Todd Numan owned it. Catherine shook herself out of her thoughts to hear Grissom tell Brass to hurry up, and watched him run out of the room. Catherine thought to herself, the girl is lucky to have such wonderful people surrounding her, and protecting her. Hopefully they would make it in time.

* * *

Please R&R and let me know what you think!!! I live for reviews! (and I'll give you great praise in my upcoming chapters!) 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you for those of you who keep reading and reviewing my chapters, I appreciate it very much!! If you haven't read and reviewed the story before, start now:)

Disclaimer: the usual. If I owned anyone at the CSI franchise, I'd be in California writing for them!!

* * *

Katherin fought against the strong arms that were holding her tightly until she heard a familiar voice in her ear, and it had a southern accent attached to it. "Kat, honey are you okay? Where is he?" Nick talked to her soothingly, trying to get her to calm down. 

"John, he's in the office, I kicked him really hard, I think he's hurt" she didn't pause or miss a beat "Please go get him please take him away!" She started sobbing again.

Nick tried as best he could to calm her down, and he turned to Greg who was behind him on the stairs. "Brass is on his way he said to wait for backup." said Greg "he'll be here in less than 5 minutes." "Take her to the car Greg" said Nick, straight faced. There was no way he was waiting for Brass, he was taking this guy down, and making sure he never hurt Kat again. Greg looked at him with questions in his eyes, but Nick just gave him a "do it now" look, so Greg reached around him and took Katherin gently by the hand and said "come on Kat, I'll take you to the car. It's okay I've got you." Greg easily steered her down the steps and towards the front door. Nick made sure she was out of sight before he ran into the office, only to find John was already gone. "Damn it!" he yelled and saw there was another door at the back of the office, so he went towards it, ever careful, checking to see if John was still there. No sign of him, so Nick went back out the first door, down the stairs and straight to Chi-Chi who was watching Katherin walk out the front door with Greg.

"If he comes in here again, you call me" he said gruffly as he handed his card to the woman behind the bar. "I realize you're friends with him, but he hit her again, and was going to take her with him whether she wanted to go or not. You have to realize how dangerous this man really is! He's going to kill her if we don't stop him. Please call me if anyone in the club sees him."

Chi-Chi was shocked, this man couldn't be talking about the John she knew and who had taken care of Kat for all those months. She took his card wordlessly and nodded in agreement to call him if she saw him again. She watched the back of the CSI walk out the door, and immediately called John on his cell phone.

"What?" John barked out.

"John, it's Marie. What the hell are you thinking???? There are police officers here, they're looking for you! What in the hell are you doing hitting Kat??? Are you crazy?? Boy if I was in the same room as you I would smack you upside the head right now!!"

"Chi-chi, I hear you. I don't know why I get so angry, I feel awful, but I just…I don't want her with anyone else. She said she had moved on…if she has I'll…I don't know what I'll do."

"Well son there were two fine looking guys here with her tonight, and they both looked like they could be falling for her. You better straighten up! If you touch her again I will kill you myself!" she said and slammed the phone down. She turned around to see Nick, Greg and Kat staring at her.

"Chi-chi???" Kat looked like she was going to start sobbing again "did you? Were you?" she couldn't even finish her sentences she was so angry. "How could you?? How could you call him and warn him the police were after him? Do you see what he did to me?" Katherin ignored what Chi-chi had told John about Nick and Greg, and the fact they both could be falling for her. It didn't even register on her mind at the moment. She was so angry with her for going behind her back and warning John. "I trusted you!" she said with venom. She completely ignored the hurt look on the woman she trusted with her life, and told the guys to get her out of the club before she did something she regretted. Both Nick and Greg nodded to each other, and ushered her out the front door. Katherin didn't look back. She then realized she was completely done with the club, with Chi-chi, and with that life.

* * *

Sorry for the shortness!! Please R&R and let me know how you think the story is going so far:) 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This is going to be the last update for just a little while…I'm moving and won't have internet access for about a week or longer. So hope this keeps you held over until then! Thanks to my reviewers, Soccer-Bitch and a.girl.named.jake, I really appreciate your reviews!! Anyone else who wants to R&R that would be great too!:).

_

* * *

__He watched her, crying, in the arms of the man with the gun. He watched and couldn't believe she was the same girl from all those years ago,the one who got away. There he was, and she didn't even see him. After all this time-he really was going to be able to get her._

Nick held her in his arms, stroking her hair and telling her everything would be okay. He heard footsteps and looked up to see Grissom's cold angry eyes staring holes in him. He could read Grissom's mind, why did you leave her alone? He started to speak but Grissom ignored him and kneeled down to be eye level with Katherin.

"Katie, honey, what happened? Brass got Greg's call, are you alright?" In one move she let go of Nick and wrapped her arms around Grissom's neck, almost knocking him down onto the ground. She couldn't speak, she was quietly sobbing, he could feel her shaking. "Shhh" he tried to calm her down "it's alright honey, I'm here now. Why don't you let me take you home?"

She looked up at him, blue eyes filled with tears and shook her head. "No" she tried speaking, voice still shaky. "I'm fine. I'm going home with Nick. You need to talk to Sara, explain to her…she's mad at me, I can tell." Grissom's heart felt like it was going to burst, he was so proud of the woman who was in front of him. She had been attacked twice in two days, and she was worried about someone else, and their feelings.

"No need to worry, I've already talked to her, and Cath, and Warrick. They understand about our past, and our relationship. I can take you home, so you can get some rest. Nick and Greg are going to be here awhile, they'll have to give their statements to Brass."

Katherin looked up at Nick and Greg. Both men looked horrible, their faces full of worry. She realized she gave both of them a huge scare, and decided enough was enough. She was tired of playing the victim, and it was time she did something about it. Enough crying, she thought to herself. I'm stronger than this. "Gil I'm okay, really." It was the first time she had called him by his first name in awhile, and he was surprised at how strong she sounded when she said it. "I am going to wait until Greg and Nick are done with whatever they have to do, and then they're going to take me home to get my things. I'll be staying with Nick. Thank you for the offer, but I know, even with your explination to Sara, she deserves more than me being thrown in her face." She held a finger up telling Grissom she wasn't finished talking. "I know you're not trying to do that, but…I would just feel more comfortable this way. Thank you though really. You know any other time I would jump at the chance for a sleepover at your house, but I think this time I should just stay with Nick. He has the spare room, and…I am looking forward for time to get to know your co-workers." He could tell in her eyes she meant it, so he didn't push.

"Okay, you know my number if you need anything." He gave her a kiss in the forehead and walked away. Brass stopped him as he was walking towards the Denali and said "Aren't you taking her with you?"

"No, she wants to go home with Nick. It's out of my hands for now." He got in the SUV and drove away.

"Kat, you could have gone with him…I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to" said Nick. "I mean- I screwed up in there. I should have never let you go to the office alone. I…I don't know what to say." Nick knew he had royally messed things up and was afraid she wouldn't trust him again.

Poor Greg looked lost as he watched the woman next to him and his friend talk. He stayed quiet, went around to the back of the SUV and got his camera. He was surprised Griss didn't say anything about evidence, and felt proud he had thought of it.

"I hate to interrupt, but we should really process you" he said, holding out the camera to Nick, who shook his head and gestured for Greg to do it.

"Oh, of course" said Kat, and stood still while Greg took pictures of her bruises, and scraped under her fingernails for DNA. Not that they needed it, since they knew who the attacker was, but anything to back up their case would be crucial. After Greg was done collecting the evidence, he gave Katherin a big hug. She wasn't expecting it and it threw her a little, but she smiled, and when he pulled away gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for being there for me Greg, I really appreciated it. You were so brave, you don't even carry a gun!" He knew she was just trying to be nice, but to hear her say the praise was enough for him. With a grin from ear to ear, he pretended to tip his hat and said "naw, it was nothing little lady."

Nick watched the two of them have a moment and smiled to himself. He couldn't help it. Greg was obviously falling for the girl, and he could tell she liked him too…but there was something about her. Nick didn't know what it was, but he wanted to find out what was behind the drama and angst that had riddled their short time together. He didn't want to fight one of his good friends over a girl, but…this one was different. This one he thought was worth fighting for.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hello all! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update…with no internet for a month, and all the holidays…plus personal stuff…my heart and/or mind hasn't been able to really be into doing an update. But I'm all over that, and ready to press on!! It may take me a little bit to get into the story again, it's been quite a while since I last worked on it…please R&R and let me know what you think!!

* * *

Katherin was deep in thought while she, Greg and Nick rode straight to Nicks house. She thought about Chi-Chi, and how the woman had betrayed her whom she considered to be her second mother. She thought about John, and how angry he had been when she mentioned she had moved on. It wasn't necessarily a lie; she could see herself with either of the handsome men that had been assigned to protect her. She could tell how scared and worried they both were for her…and she was glad that they were there, but she was tired of being the victim. She jumped when she heard the passenger door open and saw Greg standing there holding out his hand. She didn't even realize they had stopped. She smiled, unbuckled her seatbelt, and grabbed Greg's hand as he helped her out of the Denali.

"A penny for your thoughts." Greg said to her with a look of concern on his face.

"Oh, just thinking about what fun we're going to have tonight!" Katherin put her best face on. She didn't want to worry the guys any more than they already were.

Nick took the lead as the trio walked up to his front door. He unlocked it, and held open the door for her. "It's not the Belagio, but it's home."

Katherin walked in and looked around slowly. It was more of a home than she had in a long time, and she was very grateful. She couldn't help but to start to cry. Both Nick and Greg looked at each other not knowing what to do. Katherin wiped her eyes and turned around to face the two of them and stated, "It's wonderful. I love it Nick."

Nick ran around trying to clean up "Sorry I haven't really had anyone come to visit, so it's kind of a mess." Katherin walked over to him and placed her hand on his arm, which brought him to a standstill.

"It's perfect. Just the way it is." They smiled at each other warmly. Katherin's stomach rumbled and a look of recognition sparked across Nicks face.

"You haven't eaten! You must be starving…I'd be happy to make you something. I'm not sure what I have, but…I'm sure I can find something."

"I would love anything you've got, but first, can I ask a favor?" Katherin wanted to get out of the clothes she had on and scrub any remnants of John off of her.

"Anything, you name it."

"I would love to take a shower, and get out of these clothes. Do you have anything I can borrow?"

"Of course, follow me, the bedroom is this way." Nick started down the hallway.

Katherin turned and smiled at Greg "save me a spot on the couch! I'll be back in a few minutes." Greg grinned. "You got it!"

Katherin followed Nick down the hallway and into the bedroom. He started picking clothes up and throwing them into the closet. He realized what he was doing and turned around to see Katherin smiling at him again. "Sorry, bad habit. I haven't had a woman here…I mean any visitors here…"

Katherin walked up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I know what you mean Nick. Please, don't pick anything up just leave it the way it is. It's lived in, and I love it. I need to be around a place like this, I haven't been in a home, a real home, in years. It feels right." Katherin looked up into Nick's eyes and felt the spark. Nick felt it too, he just didn't know if he should act on it or not. Here was this beautiful woman in his bedroom, this close to him…he hadn't felt this way about anyone in a long time. Then reality set in when he heard Greg in the other room turn on the TV, and he snapped out of the daze he was in. He cleared his throat, and backed up. "I can give you something to wear, it will be too big, but…at least it's something." He handed her a long sleeved shirt from the closet and a pair of his boxers from his dresser drawer. "The bathroom is right in there. If you need anything I'll be in the kitchen." He scooted past her and practically ran out of the room.

Katherin smiled to herself. She knew she had made him nervous, but it was nice to have that affect on someone. She took the clothes he had given her and walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower and shut the door. Finally she could wash away some of her past, which had been layering itself on her over the last few days. Finally she could start fresh, which she deserved. She had a feeling that tonight would be relaxing, and something that she looked forward to for a long time.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Okay I haven't updated in a really long time, so I'm kind of super updating now. Two chapters in two days…can you handle it?? ;) Thank you to everyone who reads/reviews my story, without you, there wouldn't be a reason to write!! Also if you are the person who keeps reviewing my story anonymously, instead of ridiculing me, maybe you could give me some pointers on what I could do better? I can take criticism just as well as the next person, but don't be rude. If you have some ideas, then tell me. If you don't or you just don't like the story, then quit reading it! Sorry if that's a bit harsh...but that's how I feel. To the others, thank you so much for your kind words!! _

* * *

Katherin sighed as she felt the warm water flowing down on her. It felt wonderful, she finally felt relaxed. She wanted to stay in the shower forever, but she knew the guys would be waiting, so she turned off the shower, dried off and pulled on the clothes that Nick found for her. The boxers, well she laughed when she kept pulling them back up after they kept falling off, so she rooted around in Nick's bathroom and found some safety pins. She figured the guys could help her pin them up. She put on the shirt and immediately breathed in Nick's masculine, woodsy smell. She didn't know what kind of cologne he wore, but no matter how many washes that shirt had been through, she could still smell it strong as ever. She made a mental note to find out what kind it was, so she could get him a bottle as a thank you present. She picked up her towels and hung them up to dry. She took the safety pins and walked out into the hallway holding up her shorts, and ran right into Greg. She dropped the shorts in surprise, thank goodness the shirt was long enough it came past her knees, and Greg's eyes got wide. "I'm so sorry Kat I didn't see you I am so **so** sorry!" Greg started rambling, trying to advert his eyes.

Katherin laughed and pulled the shorts back up, holding on to them with one hand. "No problem Greg! Although I bet you didn't think it would be that easy to get me out of my shorts…" she winked at him which made him turn even more red than he already was. "I'm kidding! Nick gave me a pair of his boxers, and, as you can see, they're too big for me. I was coming out here to see if you guys could help pin them up for me!"

"Oh, uh, sure" Greg stammered. He tried to pull himself together as Nick came down the hall.

"What's going on?" He asked, and his breathe caught in his throat when he saw Kat in his shirt. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had worn a piece of his clothing, and he liked, no loved the way she looked in it. Then he saw Greg's red face and Kat holding onto the boxers and he started laughing. "I told you they would be too big for you." He couldn't help but laugh out loud at the situation.

Katherin was giggling too, so Greg couldn't help but join in.

"I told Greg I was coming out to have you guys help me pin them so they would stay up. I didn't think it would be real ladylike of me to be walking around and have them falling off all the time." Katherin smiled at both guys' faces, which at the thought of her with the shorts down around her ankles got very red. "Do you mind?" With one hand still holding the shorts, she used the other hand to pull up the shirt high enough so they could reach the waistband.

"Not at all." Nick said and took the pins from her. He gave some to Greg and he started on the other side. In no time they got the shorts secured so that they weren't in any danger of falling off again. "Perfect. And just in time, I made pancakes. I hope you like chocolate chip!"

"Oooo!" Katherin squealed "My favorite!" She took off towards the kitchen with Nick and Greg tailing behind her. "They smell wonderful…I haven't had chocolate chip pancakes since…" her face clouded over, and she was deep in thought again.

_It was the day before the murders. Her mother got up early to fix her chocolate chip pancakes. She wanted her to have a good meal before she had to go off to school. "Breakfast is ready" her mother yelled upstairs at her "come and get it they're your favorite!"_

"_I don't have time mom I have to go see Uncle Gil before school about my project!" Kat yelled back at her mom. She felt bad since she could smell the pancakes all the way upstairs and she definitely wanted some. _

" _Katherin Angel Bend, you get down here this instant! I will not have you going off to school without eating breakfast! It's the most important meal of the day! Your Uncle Gil can wait."_

_She could tell her mother wasn't going to let it go, so she sighed and ran downstairs._

"_Okay mom but I can't stay for long. Gil is going to go through my science fair project with me and make sure everything is perfect for tomorrow. I can't wait! I really think I have a shot this year at winning. You and dad will be there right?" She sat at the table and started in on the pancakes. "Gosh mom you have to tell me how you make these, they are amazing!"_

_Her mother laughed. "Secret family recipe, you'll only get it if you start spending some more time with me!" Katherin smiled, like her mom had to bribe her to spend time with her. She was just busy with school and the science fair project. She realized that she had been spending a lot of time with their neighbor, Gil Grissom, who she affectionately called "Uncle Gil", but she always had time for her family. "I promise mom, tonight, after Uncle Gil and I go through the project one last time, I promise we can have movie night or something. Spend some quality time as a family. Will Jeremy be here?" Jeremy was her younger brother, who she hardly ever saw. He was just as busy as she was with school and he was in a band, so he rehearsed a lot._

"_Yes, your brother will amazingly be here tonight too. We may actually have a family night where the whole family is together!" Her mother was thrilled at the thought of having her entire family together for one night. _

"_Great! I can't wait, but now I really have to get going. Thanks for the cakes mom they were amazing as always!" She got up from the table and started towards the door._

"_Oh no you don't, where's my kiss?" Her mother stood, tapping her foot and pointing to her cheek. "You don't think you can get away without my goodbye kiss do you?"_

"_Oh mom!" Katherin rolled her eyes and came over and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. "I love you I'll see you tonight!"_

"_I love you too" said her mom, as Katherin walked out the door. Little did she know that would be the last time she saw her mother alive._

"Kat?" She shook herself out of her thoughts and stared down at the pile of pancakes in front of her, then up at the two men with questions in their eyes. She smiled "I'm okay, I was just thinking about the last time someone made me pancakes. It was my mom…the last day she was alive. Just kind of hit home that's all. But I'm fine, really. Tonight is supposed to be fun remember? No sadness, no worrying. You guys have worried enough about me over the last few days to last a lifetime. None of that tonight!" She started in on her pancakes and moaned "oh wow Nick these are great!"

Nick smiled "thanks. I don't cook a lot, but…I make a mean pancake I guess."

Katherin nodded her mouth too full to say anything. So the three of them ate and ate until they were stuffed. Nick cleaned up the dishes, and Greg brought Kat over to the couch. The trio settled in for a night of TV and relaxing.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Thank you again for the reviews. Sorry it's taken me a little bit to get another chapter going, I've had a bit of writers' block…and personal stuff happening. So hopefully I can get back in to the swing of things and you like what happens!! _

_Disclaimer: as usual, I only own the character of Katherin. Wish I could own the character of Nick…or Greg…nummy. Sorry off track!!_

* * *

Kat was lying on the couch, Greg at her feet and Nick in a nearby chair, watching TV. They had been flipping channels for about 10 minutes when Nick and Greg both heard heavy breathing coming from Kat's end of the couch. They both turned towards her at the same time to see her fast asleep. Nick smiled at Greg, who in turned laughed to himself. "Didn't realize we were so boring" Greg said back to Nick, who also laughed.

"I think she's just exhausted. I know I would be if I had gone through what she has in the last few days." Nick explained. They watched her for a few seconds before Nick finally said "maybe I should put her to bed." He got up, crossed over to the couch and gently lifted her up. As a reflex Kat put her arms around Nicks neck and snuggled close to his chest. Nick smiled. "I'll be right back Greggo. Try and find a movie or something we can watch."

"No problem!" Greg stated as he watched Nick take her down the hall into his bedroom, jealousy in his eyes. He wasn't about to get into it with Nick over this girl though, not now. Not after all that she's been through. He laid down where she had been on the couch and smelled her perfume. It lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

Nick put Kat gently on the bed and pulled the covers over her. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Good night darlin. Sweet dreams." He started to stand back up when Kat started talking, so he leaned back in close to her to try and hear what she was saying.

"Don't leave me please…stay here…I don't want to be alone." Her eyes were shut so Nick couldn't tell if she knew what she was saying or not. She started talking again, "please, I need you. Hold me." Nick was torn. He didn't know what to do. Should he give in and stay because she asked him to, or just brush it off as she's just talking in her sleep. He also didn't know if she was talking to him, as she hadn't said his name. He wanted for another moment to see if she kept talking, and then she said the name he wasn't sure if he could handle hearing. "Nick…please don't leave." That did it for him. He walked back into the living room to tell Greg he was going to stay with Kat, and saw that Greg himself had also fallen asleep. So he threw a blanket over Greg, locked the front door, and turned off the lights. He walked back into the bedroom and shut the door. There she was, still facing the door, still whimpering in her sleep. He crossed the room to the bed, and lay down on the blanket. Immediately her arm reached around and she pulled herself close to him, her head laying on his chest. She took a deep breath and sighed. In the dark she couldn't see him smile, but it was there. He laid his head back against his headboard, sighed and closed his eyes. They both drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

About an hour later Nick woke up with a start when he heard Kat screaming. Greg heard her from the living room and also jumped up and ran into the bedroom, turning on the lights. "What's going on??" Nick leapt off the bed and scanned the room. Kat wasn't there. They heard her scream again, and realized that it was coming from outside.

"Take the front Greg I'll get the back" Nick said as he got his gun from the nightstand next to the bed. He had his spare as well and gave it to Greg, seeing as he hadn't passed his firearm proficiency test yet, he didn't have one of his own. Greg nodded and took off towards the front of the house, as Nick went out the back door. He turned the flashlight on that he had grabbed on his way out and started scanning it around the backyard.

"Kat?? Where are you?" Nick yelled out to her.

"NICK!" she screamed "Help me!" She sounded petrified, and that made Nick even more upset than he already was. Dammit if he didn't tell Grissom he would keep her safe at his own house, and here she's hurt again. He kept scanning his flashlight around when he saw a glint of something metal in the corner of the yard. He started walking towards it when he heard the hiss of someone speaking.

"Don't come any closer, or she dies." Nick couldn't tell to whom the voice belonged to but he could tell they meant business. "She's coming with me. Don't try to stop me. She's mine."

By that time Greg had come into the backyard as well and was inching his way closer to Nick. The man saw this and thought he was coming towards him. He panicked. "I told you not to come any closer! You just killed your girl here!" He screamed as he slashed the knife he was holding across Katherin's throat.

"NO!" Both Greg and Nick screamed at the same time as they saw Kat fall to the ground and the man jump the fence and run off. They ran to her and saw her body draining, of blood and life. Her beautiful blue eyes that had sparkled when they met her the first time were now cold. "Oh my god Greg call 911 call Grissom, call someone we have to help her!" He took off his shirt and put it on the cut around her neck, trying to stop the bleeding.

Greg took his cell and called for the ambulance, knowing it was too late to save her. He did it for his friend. He did it because he felt responsible. He called Grissom and told him to come immediately. He called the lab and told Ecklie to get his day shift people out to Nicks house. Yes, it was night but this wouldn't be a case the night shift would be able to handle. When he was done with his calls, he put his hand on Nicks shoulder. Nick turned to look at him, his eyes filled with tears. Greg said in a monotone voice "she's gone Nick. She's gone."


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Hope y'all don't shoot me after that last chapter! ;) I couldn't end the story on that note!! Sorry it's a short one!_

* * *

Nick woke up with a start, sweat pouring down his face. He looked down and saw that Kat wasn't there next to him and he started thinking maybe it hadn't been a nightmare. Then he heard her, in the shower, singing. He breathed a huge sigh of relief and jumped up out of bed, crossed the room to the bathroom and opened the door. He could see her outline through the curtain. He just wanted to make sure she was okay. She turned off the water, reached out to get a towel, and stepped out of the tub, saw him standing there and screamed. Then she realized who it was and started laughing. 

"You scared me to death! What are you doing in here?" she saw the look on his face, how frightened and child like he looked. "Nick what is it? What's wrong?"

He didn't realize his feelings for her and how strong they were until that very second. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard on the mouth. She was stunned for a moment, but then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He broke away and she stood there, not knowing what to think or do or say, when he finally spoke.

"I'm so sorry Kat. That was very unprofessional of me, but…I had the worst nightmare, I thought I had lost you. I didn't realize how…much I…how badly I…" he couldn't finish his sentence. She walked over to him, put her hands on either side of his face, and kissed him again, this time soft and gentle.

"Nick, don't ever apologize for showing me how you feel. I've learned that you never keep your feelings hidden, because you never know when you won't be able to share them with the people you love. Please, please don't be sorry. I feel the same way about you. Now, do you mind if I get dressed before Greg comes in here and sees me in a towel? Cause as much as he would like that I'm sure, I think it would probably not be the best thing right now." She winked at him and it broke the tension. He laughed.

"Of course. Do you need some more clothes?" Nick started into the bedroom to try and find her something else to wear.

"No thanks, I called Gil. He's bringing me some of my clothes by. I hope that's okay I didn't want to wake you up." The doorbell rang and they heard Greg answer, so Nick just smiled as Kat, oblivious to the fact she still only had a towel on, ran out into the hallway almost straight into Grissom. Gil stayed steady, as only someone of his caliber could, handed her the bag of clothes and turned away. Kat realized that when she was younger it wasn't as such a big deal for her "Uncle Gil" to see her in a towel, but now that she was grown up, it was kind of awkward for him. "Sorry Gil" she said giggling and ran back into the bedroom, shutting the door. She came out a few minutes later fully dressed, hair pulled back in a ponytail. "Thank you for bringing those by I really appreciate it."

"No problem Katie. So how did things go last night?" Gil could tell there was some kind of tension between the three of them, something he had sensed before but couldn't quite put his finger on it. For being one of the smartest men any of the three of them had ever known, he was oblivious to the fact that the two men he picked to put on her case had fallen for her, and that she was returning the feelings. Greg and Nick looked at each other before Kat answered. "It was great, I had such a good nights sleep…Nick stayed with me, he was a perfect gentleman. Greg kept watch in the living room…all in all things went smoothly."

Nick wanted to say something about the nightmare, but he didn't want to scare Kat, so he just nodded in agreement.

Greg also nodded, adoring Kat for covering that he fell asleep. She had come out earlier to check on him, before she took her shower. _He had felt her presence before he opened his eyes. He felt her breath close to his face, felt her kiss his cheek. He opened his eyes and she put a finger to her lips, to stay quiet. She sat down on the couch next to him. "Thank you for staying out here last night Greg, I really appreciate you keeping watch and making sure no one broke in. That was a very brave thing for you to do, seeing as you don't have a gun." _

_He looked at her with doe eyes "oh, sure, no problem, my pleasure." He smiled at her and she smiled back. _

"_I'm going to go take a shower. I called Gil, to have him bring me some of my own clothes. Can you get the door if he comes while I'm in there?" She stood up and Greg jumped up as well._

"_Of course! I'm at your service" he said and mock bowed. Katherin giggled and curtsied.  
_

_"Why thank you sir!" She giggled again, kissed him on the cheek and walked back towards the bedroom._

Greg smiled to himself remembering how his cheek tingled after she kissed him, how he wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. He saw Nick, the look that he gave Kat…the love in his eyes…he realized that his best friend loved the girl that he was in love with. How this would play out would be anyone's guess!!


End file.
